Study: Heart Patients At Risk From Blood-Thinners

When it comes to blood-thinning medications, one size definitely does not fit all. That is the conclusion of researchers from the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute in Salt Lake City. After examining over 500 patients with coronary artery disease who were taking either Plavix (clopidogrel) or Effient (prasugrel) to help prevent heart attack and stroke, researchers found that about three-quarters of the participants were getting the wrong dose.

Drug makers like to establish a standard dose, as that makes distributing and prescribing the medications simple and uniform. With anticoagulant—or blood-thinning—medications, however, dosage is critical. Too much can raise the risk of uncontrollable bleeding that can lead to death, while too little can increase risk of heart attack and stroke.

If you took a blood-thinning drug like Plavix or Effient and suffered from a serious bleeding event, heart attack, or stroke, you may benefit from a consultation with a New York product liability lawyer. Drug companies are responsible for establishing safe guidelines for patients, and in the case of blood-thinning medications, they may not have done enough to ensure the proper dosing.

Heart patients may be eligible for personal injury lawsuit in New York

Current guidelines for Plavix and Effient, as well as for many other blood thinning drugs, recommend that all patients take the same standardized dose. In this study, however, researchers discovered that that dose is not effective for most patients.

Scientists took a simple blood test from the participants, which helped determine whether the blood is clotting properly. Half the patients taking Plavix were getting too little to prevent clotting most effectively. A quarter of them were getting too much, which left only a quarter actually getting an accurate dose.

For Effient, half of the patients were getting too much, which can lead to dangerous bleeding events. A quarter of the participants were getting too little, again leaving only a quarter that were getting the right dose. Researchers recommended that doctors use these blood tests in patients to adjust the dosage as needed.

New York product liability lawyer will fight for you

The fact that the drug makers of these medications did not recommend blood testing to determine proper dosing could leave them liable in a personal injury lawsuit in New York. It is up to the manufacturer to do proper safety testing on a drug before releasing it onto the market. This study reveals that 75 percent of patients using these drugs were at serious risk of health complications and even death because of a lack of safety precautions.

A New York product liability lawyer from the Sanders Firm is skilled in dealing with cases like these, where patients are put at risk because of missteps by a drug manufacturer. There is unlikely to be a dangerous drug recall, as there is not yet enough evidence to warrant removing the drug from the market, but patients who are injured may very well be able to receive compensation in court.

You may be eligible for a personal injury lawsuit in New York

If you or a loved one suffered a serious injury because of incorrect dosages of blood-thinning medications, a New York product liability lawyer can help. You shouldn’t have to suffer because a large corporation failed to properly study and establish proper safety standards in regards to their products. Call the Sanders Firm today for a free consultation.

The Sanders Firm is a national personal injury law firm with principal offices in Manhattan, Long Island, Brooklyn, and Bronx. The Sanders Firm represents clients nationwide in class action lawsuits, federal litigation and multi-district litigation. Call to speak with a lawyer for a free consultation, there is no charge unless the firm wins your case and recovers a monetary award.
SEO by Rankdog